Baghdad  - An Iraqi tribal leader escaped an assassination attempt Sunday when gunmen attacked his house in the city of Hillah, Iraq security sources said.

Sheikh Fawaz Kamel Ahmed, leader of the al-Massoud tribe, was injured in the attack on his house in Hillah, 100 kilometres south of Baghdad.

Leaders and members of some Sunni tribes, known as Sawha and including the al-Massoud tribe, have collaborated in the past with US forces to fight al-Qaeda's presence in Iraq. Some of these collaborators themselves had formerly cooperated with al-Qaeda.

In separate news, two US soldiers were injured late Saturday when their vehicle was caught in a bomb attack near al-Fallujah, which lies about 70 kilometres west of Baghdad in Anbar province.

Despite declining violence across Iraq, US forces remain targets in Anbar province. The US presence there has decreased as Iraqi forces start to shoulder more of the province's security. dpa